The following article was originally published by Wenger Corporation on its performing arts blog.

Over three weeks we’re examining security in performing arts centers from different angles: operations, planning and training. Last week we focused on the AT&T Performing Arts Center in Dallas. This week we consider planning from the perspectives of a theatre consultant and a security expert.

“I think stadiums, arenas and other large concert or sporting venues are addressing security very well, in every manner they can,” explains Jack Hagler, ASTC, a partner in Schuler Shook’s Dallas office. Schuler Shook’s core practices are theatre planning and architectural lighting design.

Common security measures at stadiums and arenas include keeping vehicular traffic away from pedestrian areas, proactively searching for bombs or other weapons – either in vehicles or on people – and even employing metal detectors to screen audience members upon entry.

But why aren’t many PACs employing such measures? Hagler believes the paradigm is different. A popular music concert or sporting event in an arena typically attracts a younger audience; those events have an unfiltered, high-energy feel.

“Performing arts facilities attract a different crowd – even with popular music or a Broadway show,” explains Hagler. “We expect a more formal, refined type of audience.”

He believes it’s difficult for a PAC operator to insist their well-dressed patrons, perhaps fresh from pre-show fine dining, pass through metal detectors and have their belongings searched.

Looking ahead, Hagler expects to see increased security awareness in PAC planning. When contacted recently, Hagler said it’s the sixth design trend he would add, building on the five already cited in his interesting 2015 article.

Realizing Possibilities

“Many in the U.S. haven’t yet realized the possibility of terrorism impacting a performing arts center,” contends Hagler. For example, while patron bag searches are discussed, such policies vary widely, both by specific venue and type of entertainment.

He hopes the U.S. never witnesses large-scale attacks like happened in Paris and Moscow in 2015 and 2002, respectively. At the Bataclan theatre massacre in November 2015, 90 audience members at a heavy metal band concert were killed by terrorists.

In the Moscow incident 13 years earlier, Chechen rebels took more than 700 opera patrons hostage in the Dubrovka Theater for over two days, demanding Chechnya’s independence. By the time Russian special forces ended the siege, most of the rebels and 120 hostages had been killed, many by the effects of an unidentified narcotic gas pumped into the building to subdue the attackers.

While it’s impossible to eliminate all risks, proper planning in a PAC’s design stage can help mitigate these dangers.

Secret Playbook

“Performing arts centers being designed today must consider not only the guest-service experience, but how their facility’s design enhances safety and security,” explains Mark Herrera, IAVM Director of Education. A former S.W.A.T. leader and Department of Homeland Security advisor, he leads the association’s education and outreach efforts.

Just because the public is unaware of security plans and design features at PACs doesn’t necessarily mean those plans and features don’t exist. One important element is known as Crime Prevention through Environmental Design.

“We never want to give the threat our playbook,” notes Herrera. He advises architects and facility planners to design structures with crime prevention in mind and to create environments that positively impact human behavior.

One key design factor is natural access control points for patrons to enter and exit the facility, without it resembling a foreboding structure like Fort Knox. Herrera says that even buildings constructed 15 or 20 years ago can take retrofit steps through environmental design, such as adding decorative planters or benches that enhance aesthetics while also preventing a vehicle breach.

A second key design factor is natural surveillance opportunities for staff and security personnel, including outside law enforcement. This ensures that large crowds can be easily monitored by staff, yet the same crowd is safely inside a perimeter and shielded from potentially harmful surveillance or dangerous violence.

Proper Preparation

More than any specific architectural feature, Herrera believes security in performing arts centers starts with education. “We’re being very proactive with these facilities to ensure they receive the best training and information on mitigating risks,” he says.

Herrera has been asked if it’s possible to over-train on security, which might send a message that a facility has problems or issues that need attention. He strongly disagrees.

“When you train your personnel, you’re programming the subconscious part of the mind to make the unknown familiar – like storing information in a database, always available for recall,” explains Herrera.

When the mind is conditioned to notice unusual activity and given a plan of action, the proper response objective is carried out instinctively and without hesitation.

He also compares the repetition of training to shaking someone else’s hand. “You don’t have to aim or guide your hand, or even think about it – you just shake it like you’ve done thousands of times before,” Herrera adds. “Training needs to be like this, both instinctive and automatic.”

Herrera considers training like an “environmental inoculation” – analogous to a flu shot providing immunity to influenza. He concludes, “Training gives small doses of the ‘disease’ that helps strengthen immunity against various adverse conditions.”

The post Security In PACs: A Different Paradigm (Part 2 of 3) appeared first on International Association of Venue Managers.

Section Row Seat, LLC has begun operations in Port Orange, Florida earlier this month.

The start-up provides consultancy services in facility operations, vendor and security management, human resources, leadership and training, revenue management, customer communication, and facility planning. Section Row Seat specializes in the management of sport and entertainment venues.

Company founder Jean Ann Bowman is a 20-year industry veteran, having recently served as senior director of guest services for Daytona International Speedway, during the reopening of the $400M Daytona Rising renovation project.

“We aim to create a culture of guest services for organizations. By finding operational efficiencies, improving training, and better managing vendors, we help venues improve the guest experiences,” Bowman said. “We know that venues can struggle to develop consistency and to unify the approach across departments. All the operations and services at venues must work to together to keep guests safe and to enhance guests’ enjoyment of the event.”

Section Row Seat welcomes clients from all sizes of venues. Project scopes may include the procurement of vendors, operational facility reviews, management of staff training programs, and review customer communication. The company website, www.Section-Row-Seat.com, provides detailed information about services and a downloadable company profile.

The post Section Row Seat Launches To Support Guest Service Culture appeared first on International Association of Venue Managers.

Ask practically anyone involved in the public assembly venue industry about the legacy he or she wishes to leave upon their career and you will often hear the phrase of making a difference in the community and the industry.

The good news is that there is always time to make that exact difference within your association by volunteering to serve on an IAVM committee. If you have not answered the call for volunteers or are still contemplating a decision, please know that IAVM needs your help and that your service will come back and richly reward you with the professional friends you will work aside as well as indeed making that important difference in guiding the future direction of IAVM’s committees and their work.

The March 3 deadline is rapidly approaching for Committee Call for Volunteers. Appointments to board committees will be made by the First Vice Chair, while appointments to management committees will be made by the CEO in consultation with the committee chairs and vice chairs. Volunteers will be notified of their committee assignment by the end of May.

For all the full details on volunteering and a brief form to complete, please click here.

The post March 3 The Deadline To Make A Difference By Volunteering For IAVM Service appeared first on International Association of Venue Managers.

As the Venue Management School celebrates its 30th year, we want to urge you to connect with us and share your own personal VMS story for the May/June issue of Facility Manager magazine.

Whether serving as an instructor or going through the school as a student, the Wheeling Feeling and Oglebay experience is one that is unique and special to those who have spent many a June in West Virginia. Formerly the Public Assembly Facility Management School, these last 30 years have seen incredible growth and change in the industry that the school has been on the cutting edge of every year for the students who gather.

While we cannot guarantee that every memory will be able to fit in the May/June magazine, we will do our very best to make it happen. All reflections will appear on a special designated space on the IAVM website, so please be a part of telling the story of VMS.

Do you have a lesson you learned while at the school that has proved invaluable in your career? Tell us that story.

Is there a special fond memory from your time at the school that carries on with you today? Please share.

Do you work at a venue that encourages staff to attend the school to enhance their professional development and to one day carry the powerful CFE designation at the end of their name? We’re all ears.

Are you an instructor who has seen dynamic changes in the school’s curriculum and in the professional level of the students who have attended your classes over the years? We want to know all about it.

Happen to have some VMS pictures you can share for us to use? Send them now.

When you reply (note that is “when” and not “if” so we better hear from you!), please tell us your years of attendance.

We request due to space limitations to keep your submissions to approximately 250-300 words. We will again try to accommodate and urge and encourage your story to share to help celebrate 30 years of the industry’s premier educational school. Send your story by March 10 to R.V. Baugus.

The post Facility Manager Magazine Needs Your VMS Stories And Memories appeared first on International Association of Venue Managers.

Region 7 was host to an IAVM Arizona Chapter Meeting on February 1 at the Phoenix Convention Center with a full one-day itinerary that touched on several topics and issues that qualify as hot in the venue management industry.

“It was a successful meeting,” said Robby Elliott, Mesa Arts Center. “We had more than four 40 people present and had three sponsors to thank in Aventura Catering, Sico Seating and Ticketforce.”

In addition to networking, a silent auction and Town Hall session, the slate of events included sessions on Practical Application of Continuing Risk Assessment with the convention center’s own Kevin Mattingly, Gender Issues led by Michael Soto of Miller Russell Associates and Best Practices for On-Boarding New Employees by the venue’s Jon Brodsky and the NBA Phoenix Suns’ Yolanda Mendez. IAVM Chairman Mark Mettes, CFE, Herberger Theater Center, provided a briefing on IAVM updates as well as the One Member, One Vote campaign.

“A result that came out of the Town Hall was that the technical directors and production supervisors of all the major performing arts centers have decided to meet quarterly to discuss labor trends for stagehands in the area and to discuss better ways to cultivate new talent,” Elliott said. “We also discussed the recent immigration ban and the possible pop-up protests and other security concerns that are becoming all too frequent for all sectors.”

With gender issues now very much in national headlines, attendees were updated by Soto, whose background includes working in the public sector for government and non-profit agencies including the Arizona Commission on the Arts, Arizona Citizens for the Arts, Equality Arizona, and the National Center for Transgender Equality.

“Mostly the conversation stemmed around venues acting in a neutral capacity and how to deal with facility renters who have strong opinions one way or the other,” Elliott said. “An example that was brought up is that a religious group rented a portion of the Phoenix Convention Center and an individual was denied access to a restroom that was rented by the religious organization.”

The Silent Auction raised $680 toward the Arizona Chapter’s VMS Scholarship fund.

“Overall, it was a great event that was well attended by mostly PACs and convention center personnel,” Elliott said.

The post IAVM Arizona Chapter Meeting Draws More Than 40 Attendees appeared first on International Association of Venue Managers.

By Alexis Berggren
Director of Event Services, New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center

The Region 5 Conference is rapidly approaching on April 4-7 in New Orleans. Plan now to be at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center for the education and networking opportunity of a lifetime.

Sessions will feature a variety of content and speakers aimed at providing value to everyone from the new venue professional to the industry veteran. Topics and speakers will include:

Natural Disasters & Weather Phenomenon

The last calendar year has provided many challenges for areas throughout Region 5: floods in Louisiana, fires in Tennessee and tornadoes in Mississippi, among others. Join us for a panel featuring your industry colleagues and emergency management experts to discuss the impact of these events on their venues and communities.

Panelists:

Doug Thornton, Executive Vice President, Stadiums & Arenas (SMG)

Michael Day, General Manager (Raising Cane’s River Center, Baton Rouge)

Pat Santos, Emergency Management Expert (Thompson-Booth, LLC)

Phil Constantin, Department of Homeland Security Advisor, Gulf Coast

Home Grown: Creating & Producing Your Own Events

A panel of venue operators and festival producers will share with you best practices for generating ideas, sourcing sponsors, revenue opportunities and the tips & tricks to executing successful in house events!

Panelists:

Matt McDonnell, Executive Director (Mississippi Coast Coliseum & Convention Center)

Marci Schramm, Former Executive Director, French Quarter Fest

Dottie Belletto, President & CEO (New Orleans Convention Company)

Tim Hemphill, Vice President, Sales & Marketing (New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center)

Creole, of Course

Creole, of Course is a multi-sensory, multi-media culinary & historical jazz “dinner theater” show to celebrate New Orleans’ Tri-Centennial. This exciting program will be featured within the schedule as one of the lunch activities during the conference.

Presentations and keynote addresses from notable figures in the tourism and hospitality industry, including J. Stephen Perry, President/CEO of New Orleans Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau. Perry serves on the board of directors and executive committee of the U.S. Travel Association as we as the US Travel Advisory Board, which is the body that advises national policy as it pertains to tourism.

We will also offer hands-on practical learning opportunities includes IAVM’s Situational Awareness and Trained Crowd Manager programs as part of your registration!

The post Register Now For Region 5 Conference In New Orleans appeared first on International Association of Venue Managers.

By Jim Kinney

Stuart J. Hurwitz, a restaurant owner known as “Mr. Springfield” when he ran the Springfield (MA) Civic Center, died Sunday, February 19. He was 83.

In a 2003 profile in The Republican, Hurwitz answered the question “I’m successful because” with “I’m willing to work hard and because I love what I do.”

He listed “People who don’t give their all to the job” as a pet peeve in the same piece.

According to his obituary, Hurwitz lived in Longmeadow, where he raised a family with his wife, Joan. Along with his sons he established the American Restaurant Management Corp., which operates several UNO Pizzeria & Grill and Sonic Drive-In locations in the greater Springfield area.

He left the business in the hands of his sons in 1999 to become general manager of the Springfield Civic Center. He was at the arena until 2005, using his business acumen to revitalize the operation.

He guided the center through major renovation and transition into state ownership as the MassMutual Center.

He served as a board member and leader of a number of civic organizations including JGS Lifecare, Greater Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau, Springfield Chamber of Commerce, Springfield Business Development Corp., Springfield Performing Arts Development Corp. and the Economic Development Council of Western MA.

Following his time at the Civic Center, he rejoined the restaurant business. The Hurwitz family opened Rein’s Deli locations in West Springfield and in Tower Square, but both locations closed in the face of the Great Recession.

Hurwitz brought a West Coast chicken restaurant concept, Pollo Campero, to Boston Road. He quickly recognized that it was a poor fit and replaced it with the region’s first Sonic.

In 1990, Hurwitz was asked why he established a Pizzarea Uno downtown the year before. He said he did it because of the diversity and dynamism present in the central business district.

“You find unique things here that you can’t find anywhere else,” he said.

He wasn’t afraid to add to that dynamism. Here is how he expanded on a call for “crazy ideas” to enliven downtown: “We can’t have a nudist party, but we could have a toga party or some other event to put Springfield on the map,” Hurwitz said.

He is survived by his wife Joan (Solomon), his children Steve, Michael and Mark and their wives, his sister Ida Ward and seven grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to JGS Lifecare, 770 Converse St. Longmeadow, MA – JGSLifecare.org, or to Temple Beth El, 979 Dickinson St. Springfield, MA. For further information please visit AscherZimmerman.com.

Jim Kinney is with MassLive.com and The Republican.

The post In Memoriam: Stuart Hurwitz, Former Springfield Civic Center GM appeared first on International Association of Venue Managers.

When Levitt Foundation Executive Director Sharon Yazowski got together with other producing organizations across the country to float the idea of a webinar for performance venues, little did she know that the dominos would start falling and her private foundation would join with IAVM for staff training for the organization’s six (and soon to be seven) venues that feature free concerts in an outdoor setting for their communities.

We’re all aware of the incidents that have been happening on public spaces across the country over the past two years,” she said. “All of our venues are outdoor spaces. We have become more proactive in terms of how we are preparing for unfortunate situations should they happen.”

That very scenario, in fact, played out last June when protesters disrupted an outdoor concert at the Levitt Pavilion Arlington (Texas) in a demonstration against a grand jury’s decision not to indict a police trainee who fatally shot a teenager the previous year. Two of the protesters were reportedly armed with rifles. One person with an AK-47 was arrested for disorderly conduct at the concert by the Humming House band, which reportedly drew an audience of about 3,000 people.

“The protesters marched on the lawn and wanted to get on stage, so it was an incident that disrupted the performance,” Yazowski said. “It became very clear that these sorts of things could happen at Levitt venues because they are open to the public. The executive director at the venue, Patti Diou, reached out to (IAVM Director of Education) Mark Herrera because she had heard him speak during the webinar.”

Herrera conducted onsite training with the Levitt Arlington team, and after Diou reported back to Yazowski that it was an “incredibly positive experience and we should provide the training for all the executive directors at the venues,” the wheels were set in motion for the group to become proactive in its support and resources to its venues across the country.

“We invited Mark to join our executives,” Yazowski said. “It was a wonderful experience and really just the tip of the iceberg. The training was set to get everyone’s minds thinking in a circular way. We are now working with Mark and IAVM to develop onsite training for all our venues so that he is not only working with executive leadership but also with those on the front line … the staff, production crew, volunteers and others.”

Yazowski acknowledged that preventing those with bad intentions can’t always be headed off, but without advance training the chances for safeguarding venues drop significantly.

“Sometimes no matter how much training you do, you can’t prevent something from happening,” she said. “But if you are trained you have the tools, you have the knowledge, to diffuse the situation as quickly as possible. We want to make sure we are putting measures in place that would make our sites undesirable to that sort of interruption, but if an event happens all of our people are ready to manage the situation in an efficient manner that can secure everybody and ensure everyone’s safety as quickly as possible.”

Based in Los Angeles, the Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation’s website describes the foundation as one “dedicated to reinvigorating America’s public spaces through creative place-making and creating opportunities for everyone to experience the performing arts. The need for more third places—those informal gathering spots outside the realms of home and the workplace—has become increasingly clear in today’s world and guides us in our community-driven efforts. Our goal is to reflect the best of American city life by creating community and social interaction among people of all ages and backgrounds; empowering cities across America to reclaim green spaces and reinvigorate public spaces; and ensuring the performing arts are accessible to all through high quality, free concerts.”

“We are a national funder so we provide grants to each of the venues, and we facilitate network dialogue and network cohesion, but each of the individual venues has its own team in place that’s responsible for the programming and the sustainability of the venue and what happens on the ground level,” Yazowski said. “We support them in those efforts and provide training resources, but ultimately they will work with Mark in a way that makes the most sense for their venue and for their communities.”

Yazowski said that the leaders in place at the Levitt venues all exemplify the organization’s ideals.

“They are excellent at what they do,” she said. “These venues are an integral part of their community. They are really excited to have this opportunity because they know it will benefit the venue and it will benefit the community at large.”

The post Levitt Foundation Finds A New Safety & Security Partner In IAVM appeared first on International Association of Venue Managers.

By Emily Herr

Today, we are in a day and age (for better or worse) where we can access news and media outlets instantaneously. In many ways, venue managers have taken advantage of this by offering a wide variety of enhancements for our guests since we have access to them 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Teams and venues send emails, tweets, texts, and push notifications daily to keep our guests involved and informed. From the operational standpoint, the Buffalo Bills remind guests in the days leading up to a game of all the NFL’s best practices including ease of entry, promotions, gate entertainment elements, and the Fan Code of Conduct. We send these constant alerts to engage our fans and to set a standard for our guests before they even begin their commute to the stadium.

We focus on setting high expectations of guest services and the experiences they will have once they do arrive. In sum, we spend countless hours focusing on how to put our venue in a positive light for our guests, the NFL, and to teams/leagues around the world, not only while they are here in our venues, but every day.

But what happens when this instant access to news, media, social media, and viral videos work against you? All of the hard work you’ve put in to build a brand, tarnished by a few bad apples. What steps is your venue taking when something like this happens? Are you being proactive in addressing these issues? Are you acknowledging the issues at all? How can we do better and what are the best practices?

In a venue that had an average of over 200 ejections and more than 20 arrests per game in 2010, we have worked extremely hard to change the fan behavior and ultimately the fan experience at New Era Field. In 2011 we had the least amount of Designated Driver pledges in the NFL, but today we are proud to say we have under 50 ejections per game, we are averaging only one arrest per game, we are fighting for the third-straight Responsibility Bowl title (a TEAM Coalition initiative http://www.fansdontletfansdrivedrunk.org/nfl/responsibility-bowl-iii/), and we are sitting in the top three for most designated driver pledges in the National Football League. However, if you are someone that follows the Buffalo Bills team on Monday morning in the media, you may have no idea the changes we have made and the efforts put in by many to change these rowdy perceptions.

Some of the more notable videos this year that we have been battling include fans jumping on tables, walking, running or jumping through fire, throwing objects on the field, and binge drinking. (It’s never a good feeling as a venue manager thinking your venue could single-handedly provide enough content for Deadspin all year!) And while this may sway some people from coming to a game, or returning back to one, those of us directly involved or those of us that have season tickets know this is far from normal at New Era Field. When asked about these incidents by the media we always keep it professional and say “we are looking into it” and are “making changes to improve the fan experience,” but how many venues have the resources to actually do so? I’m happy to say I work in a venue that does!

Here is how we handle these viral videos at New Era Field:

We start with the relationships. Several years ago we started having weekly meetings with our partners from the state, county, and town including Emergency Medical Personnel, Orchard Park Police, Erie County Sheriff, Erie County Emergency Services, Buffalo Bills Security, NYS Police, Apex Security, CSC Security, NFL representatives, etc. We meet regularly with these groups to ensure that everyone is on the same page and enforcing the same fan code of conduct while still providing a high level of guest services we have preached to our fans.

We are involved in their yearly trainings. Every year these groups have stadium training. Our Vice President of Operations and Guest Experience meets with every County Sheriff that works on game days. He delivers a guest service message and explains our expectations. We also meet with all Apex and CSC security teams to ensure the same message is getting across to all of our security partners. That way if an issue does arise, everyone knows what is expected of them in handling the issue as well as what is tolerated at the stadium vs. what needs to be stopped.

We have developed a plan. A few years back we developed a multi-year plan to enhance the guest experience and remove fans acting inappropriately. First, we started inside the gates – protecting our stadium, our home. We inserted the NFL’s Fan Hotline where guests can call or text issues to an in-house number and the necessary personnel is dispatched to the location to help resolve issues in the bowl or concourses. We have ejected people who were unruly, fighting, or violating the fan code of conduct. Our security teams keep a close eye on those entering the stadium. If they appear to be intoxicated, we do not allow them access to the stadium as we know their condition will only get worse. Buffalo Bills Security has installed security cameras throughout the entire stadium and we have adopted the NFL’s Fan Code of Conduct policy that makes every guest that has been ejected, turned around at the gates, or arrested take a 4-hour online class before returning to the stadium. Our ticket office has had a big hand in helping us instill this by freezing tickets if the offender is a season ticket member.

The second phase of this plan was moving out to our parking lots. In Buffalo, we have over 12,000 parking spaces on our property and several more thousand in surrounding lots. We have placed additional security in all of our parking lots on foot, golf cart, and horse. We know many of these videos that have gained the most attention take place outside of our venue. Since placing additional armed sheriffs and Apex guards in the parking lots, our issues have decreased significantly.

The third phase is making efforts to control the surrounding private lots. We know this is where those image-damaging viral videos are taking place, because there is minimal security and no supervision of the property. While this phase is still in motion, we have started by requiring the residents with private lots to have permits for their space. The next hopeful step is for Sheriff and New York State Troopers to gain access into these lots to observe and be proactive in the lots in addressing fan behavior issues when necessary.

The Plan in action: Fortunately, we have been very successful over the past several years implementing our plan with the help and support of our security partners. One of our viral videos from last year showed a man sliding down the railing from the 300 level and in the end, falling down to the 100 level. Thankfully no one was badly injured, but due to the camera systems and our security partners we were able to find out who the individual was and we were able to take action. We revoked his tickets and banned him from our stadium. This year, one of our viral videos showed two guests throwing an object onto the field. Luckily, the two brothers couldn’t stop bragging about it and because of this, we used social media to track them down, find their website, and reach out to them directly. They too have had their season tickets revoked and are not allowed back into the stadium. Lastly, we had a viral video that involved binge drinking in one of our private parking lots. The Orchard Park Police in conjunction with the Buffalo Police, found this individual realized there was a warrant for his arrest and the necessary action was taken to ensure he will not return to our venue. In working with the law enforcement officials and media partners, we were also able to hold press conferences announcing these reactions to show how serious we are taking inappropriate fan behavior at our games. They are not true representations of our fan base and work directly against the guest experience we have worked so hard to create.

Fortunately, our efforts are not going unnoticed. We have improved our ejection/arrest numbers tremendously over the last five years, we have moved from worst in the league to top three in the NFL in designated driver pledges, and we have improved the overall experience for thousands of our guests. But most importantly, many of the returning season ticket holders have written letters, called, emailed, or thanked us in person for making these improvements. Ticket holders that said they would never bring their children or grandchildren to a Bills game, can comfortably do so again. I’m fortunate enough to work in a venue that takes these behaviors seriously and actually wants to improve our image in the media. With enough time and continued efforts, I believe we can change the mentality of ALL of our fans and end the damaging viral videos.

What actions is your venue taking to make sure your image isn’t tarnished by viral videos?

Emily Herr is coordinator of event services for the Buffalo Bills and currently serves on the IAVM Stadium Committee.

The post New Era Field, Buffalo Bills Take Action Against Game-day Disrupters appeared first on International Association of Venue Managers.

When IAVM Junior Designer Jamie Carney submitted an entry into Association Trends Magazine’s Salute to Excellence Awards in the category of Daily or Weekly Communication for her work in the creative of the redesign of the IAVM News newsletter, she did so with the confidence that there could be a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow once the winners were selected in Washington, D.C. last Thursday.

“Definitely,” Carney said. “I thought I had a shot. I was just really excited about having a chance to redesign the newsletter. Given an opportunity to do that was good.”

It turned out to be more than good for Carney, who along with IAVM Director of Marketplace Sales Christy Jacobs was present for the gala. Having already been named a finalist due to receive a gold, silver or bronze award, Carney and Jacobs watched as IAVM’s name did not show up on the screen for the silver and bronze categories. That was when reality sunk in and the celebration began.

“They did the categories in alphabetical order,” Carney said. “When they got to our category, my heart started racing. I put my hand on Christy’s shoulder like, oh my gosh, this is it. We saw the first slide pop up and we weren’t on there, so I started slapping her arm because I was so excited. We weren’t on the screen so I knew that it was going to be the gold. Everyone at our table kind of looked at me funny and was really excited about it. It was really cool.”

And really cool describes the fortune that IAVM has with the talented and exuberant Carney. A graduate of Drury University in Springfield, Missouri, with a major in graphic design, IAVM is Carney’s first post-graduate position and one in which she has already made her mark.

As for the idea of submitting an entry, Carney said that took place last October, just months after her hire in April of last year.

“I talked to Christy about a redesign after we got back from VenueConnect,” she said. “It was after we got our new logo and had a new brand. We had an outdated newsletter that did not work with our brand. I wanted to make it look cleaner, reflect the brand, and overall more readable. It is important to give our members all of the information that they want every week from IAVM.”

Consider that mission accomplished with plenty encores certain to be a part of the talented Carney’s future.

The post IAVM Junior Designer Jamie Carney Hits Gold At Salute To Excellence Awards appeared first on International Association of Venue Managers.

The International Association of Venue Managers has named Amy Fitzpatrick as the organization’s new Director of Marketing. Amy joined the team on February 27, 2017.  She was previously the Graduate Program Coordinator for the School of Kinesiology, Recreation, and Sport at Western Kentucky University, where six years ago she helped to develop a partnership between WKU and IAVM. 

Now, the creation of that partnership has brought her here to Texas, and she is eager to learn more about the world of IAVM.

“I look at this as a learning experience,” Amy says. “I know the organization from the standpoint of being an affiliate from the outside looking in. Now I can see the magnitude of this organization and how IAVM not only educates people within the field, but also the way that they take the trends of the profession and disseminate that information. Normally in this type of professional setting you would probably have more than 100 employees that are doing what this small group of people are doing, and the fact that they do it, and they do it well, just amazes me.”

Amy has already adopted the IAVM brand promise and looks forward to sharing the inspiration, expertise, and connections that the association brings to the table.

“We never stop learning and we never stop growing, and that’s one of the things that I love about IAVM. They believe in that. They inspire people to get them to learn and to make them want to continue on in their field. This is where my passion lies. It’s getting people informed, making sure that they are making the right decisions for their professional career. ”

Born and raised in Bowling Green, Kentucky, it’s only fitting that Amy attended Western Kentucky University, where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies, with a minor in English, her Master of Public Administration, and her Master of Science in Recreation and Sport Administration. WKU is also where she spent much of her professional career, until now, where the IAVM team welcomes her with open arms.

The post IAVM Welcomes Amy Fitzpatrick appeared first on International Association of Venue Managers.

For every naysayer who forecasts the demise of live entertainment due to the 24/7 presence of social media and other convenient distractions, Peter Sagal, NPR host and keynote speaker at the Performing Arts Managers Conference, says to tap the brakes on all the negativity.

“Guess where a lot of the content comes from for all who are on social media?” he asked a full ballroom of PAMC attendees in Chicago. “It comes from live events.”

The message was just one nugget that Sagal entertained and educated the audience with.

Sagal does 615 Wait, Wait .., Don’t Tell Me shows, a number that started at nine when the radio show premiered in 1998.

“Crowds want to be part of something real,” Sagal said. “For a radio audience, audio is dependent on intimacy. Television is a screen, a window, a barrier. Radio is somebody talking to you, often in the most private places like your kitchen, your car, or on your headphones while you exercise.”

Sagal goes back to how technology has impacted the live experience. He cites all our phones can do as an example.

“Really, they create a greater need for what I do,” he said. “We are all connected and yet all isolated. We participate in other moments at other times. Thus, the need for live performance and connection is even more profound. That bodes well for your business and mine.”

While Sagal said he could not predict the future, he still finds himself flummoxed by the present.

“People actually come to our show to sit and listen to me,” he joked. “I mean, this is all they get.”

It has obviously been enough for generations of loyal followers who also believe in the live experience.

The post Peter Sagal Shares Vision Of Live Performance With PAMC Audience appeared first on International Association of Venue Managers.

The past and future for the Performing Arts Managers Conference was served up along with lunch on Tuesday as the conference hit the mid-point of this year’s 25th anniversary celebration at the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel in Chicago.

After Committee Chair Larry Henley gave a recount of the cities that have hosted PAMC and recognized Wenger as a sponsor for the conference’s existence, he called on Robyn Williams and Rip Rippetoe to share some experiences from having attended all 25 years.

“At our first one in Chicago in 1992, we had maybe 75 people,” Williams said. “We were calling people … are you coming? Will you be on a panel? I had quit smoking and went outside in front of the Chicago Theatre and bummed a cigarette, I was so stressed.”

“We didn’t even have a budget,” added Rippetoe. “We didn’t have badges, either. We had the peel ones that said, Hello, my name is …”

As this year’s attendance totaled 344, Williams acknowledged that, “This didn’t happen because of us. It happened because of you coming back year after year.”

IAVM Director of Development Meredith Merritt praised the sector for making donations possible for five individuals to receive  2017 Joseph A. Floreano Scholarships + Internship Programs.  She thanked Ungerboeck Software, WJHW, and Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architects for their generous donations toward the scholarships.

PAMC excels at numbers, so it was no surprise when Merritt noted that the group’s goal for sponsors this year was $93,000 and was easily topped at $151,480.

After the deserved applause died down, Merritt said that since 1997 the sector has raised $1,233,453, from Professional and Allied members for the ISVM Foundation, a figure representing more than one-third of the total of $3,206,453 raised since that time by all sectors combined.

IAVM Director of Meetings Bill Jenkins concluded with a presentation of the association’s conference strategy heading into VenueConnect 2017 from August 7-10 in Nashville. It will mark the next opportunity for the PAMC to be held as all sector meetings now officially roll into VenueConnect.

A video on Nashville then played to wrap up a session in which PAMC was not only celebrated but raises a toast to a proud and thriving sector.

The post PAMC Celebrates 25 Years Of Sustained Excellence appeared first on International Association of Venue Managers.

The following article was originally published by Wenger Corporation on its performing arts blog.

Over three weeks we’re examining security in performing arts centers from different angles: operations, planning and training. First we focused on the AT&T Performing Arts Center in Dallas; second we reviewed planning from the perspectives of a theatre consultant and security expert. Finally this week we focus on effective training.

“Because of the crowd dynamic at performing arts facilities, there hasn’t been a lot of terrorism or criminal activity,” says Mark Herrera, Director of Education with the IAVM. A former law enforcement officer, he also represents public assembly facilities for committees of the National Fire Protection Association and Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

“These venues are considered soft targets by DHS, and all soft targets are increasingly becoming targets of choice,” he adds. “At IAVM we are working to stay ahead of the curve by being very proactive with security in performing arts facilities.”

These measures include considering the building’s physical structure, layout and landscaping, along with deploying warning and scanning technology. But Herrera considers all those just Band-Aids: necessary but secondary in importance.

Watching Baseline. “All the tools you provide are only as good as the people using them,” he explains. “Facilities need to emphasize training all their key stakeholders and staff – to provide everyone with exceptional focus, performance and control in extreme situations.”

After 9/11, Herrera worked for DHS, training armed personnel how to regain control of a hijacked aircraft. Herrera says any crowd of people has a certain behavioral baseline – how people act and conduct themselves – that’s observable. Whether preventing hijackings or attacks on performing arts facilities, the solution starts with spotting the potential threat beforehand.

“We’ve brought these ideas from aircraft safety down to ground level,” Herrera notes. “If you notice an anomaly among the crowd, you can predict that person will likely cross a threshold and commit some type of disruptive or violent action,” he explains. “But by intervening first, you can possibly deter these plans.”

Herrera says the front-line staff who work at a facility’s exterior perimeters perform key roles as “eyes and ears” because those areas are usually where the threat will be initially staged.

“Those employees may feel their jobs are less important – monitoring the traffic or walking the parking lot – but we need to teach them the value they can provide,” advises Herrera. “It’s all about situational awareness.”

This includes training guest services personnel to continually scan the environment for challenges and potential danger, all while performing their regular duties.

Increasing Motivation. For venue managers who want front-line staff to realize the value of their role, Herrera recommends reality-based training. “In a controlled environment, show a devastating outcome and explain how their negligence, oversight or inability enabled that catastrophic event to happen,” he contends.

Along with providing employees with proper tools and effective training, managers should continually reinforce the employees’ importance through rewards and recognition.

Herrera recommends debriefing meetings after every event, where staff are required to share “near-miss reports” about activities and circumstances that could have been handled better. “I’d ask each employee to list five things – in either guest service or security – that were unusual or challenging,” he explains. “These are situations where nothing bad happened, but where a negative outcome might have occurred.”

 During debriefing discussions, staff can brainstorm – not point fingers – and strategize alternative responses in the future. Employees are recognized for their contributions; such meetings become the foundation for learning and improvements.

After a period of time, perhaps a year, these debriefing meetings might be suspended, because employees will have become conditioned for situational awareness and constant vigilance. The resulting benefits will continue long into the future.

5 Steps for Venue Managers. For instilling best security practices in PACs or other venues, Herrera recommends these five steps:

1) Conduct baseline risk assessment of the venue. Using an accepted risk methodology, prioritize possible threats by analyzing their likelihood and consequences. Re-evaluate risks after any major crisis or adverse event at other facilities.

2) Develop scalable, practical security program. Incorporate people, technology and procedures to detect, deter and defend against threats, focusing on risks with the highest likelihood and worst consequences.

3) Select and train security staff. Vet a workforce with knowledge, skills and abilities to implement security program and adapt as needed in an ever-changing risk environment.

4) Manage communications. Coordinate with internal staff and stakeholders, along with local, state and federal agencies. Invite these agencies for on-site training.

5) Train staff continuously. Repetition aids recall, making the proper response automatic and instantaneous.

Training the Industry. Next month in Dallas, the IAVM will hold its annual Academy for Venue Safety & Security (AVSS), designed to train venue and event managers, security professionals and other key personnel involved in venue safety and security. AVSS is a two-year school divided into two week-long sessions held a year apart. Four key disciplines are covered: emergency management, risk management, operations and training.

Outside of the formal AVSS curriculum, Herrera says IAVM’s regular conferences and events also provide members and others in the industry the opportunity to receive security training from leading experts.

“I always tell people that we don’t want to live in a bubble,” concludes Herrera. “We want to stay ahead of today’s threats – and tomorrow’s – with a strong plan, effective training and proactive involvement of all the key stakeholders, from the administrative level all the way down.”
 

The post Security In Performing Arts Centers: Empowering All Personnel (Part 3 of 3) appeared first on International Association of Venue Managers.

Fitting for a program taking place on a college campus, when Russ Vandenberg, CFE, thinks of the IAVM Senior Executive Symposium (SES) that will be held on May 15-18 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, he thinks of the four-day school for senior-level venue managers and other individuals on a leadership track inside their organization in terms of college degrees.

“I had gone to the Venue Management School (VMS) and then the Graduate Institute (GI) and here comes the SES,” said Vandenberg, chair of the Board of Governors for the symposium. “I knew at that point that if VMS served as an undergraduate degree, then GI served as a graduate degree in my mind and SES had to be the PhD for the industry.”

After working his way through all three schools, Vandenberg graduated from SES in 2013. He began his Board of Governor chair service the next year and now sits as chair as he prepares for a seventh trip to Cornell. It is an experience he can’t get enough of.

“Every year I gain something more,” Vandenberg said. “I feel like I am a student all over again. You can’t absorb enough of this stuff. I feel so fortunate to have gone those many years. That probably isn’t the path for everybody, but when you believe in it so much you want to support it and give something back. I feel like that is my way of giving back to my association. I’m a cheerleader. I’m standing on top of the chair. For others who have gone through it, I haven’t heard a single person say that they regretted going. Not one person has said it is a waste of time or money.”

Carl Adkins certainly falls into that category. Adkins served as the long-time general manager of the Georgia Dome in Atlanta and will serve as executive director for three mega-events coming to Atlanta over the next three years, including the 2019 Super Bowl at the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Other major upcoming events include college football’s national championship game in January 2018 and the college basketball Final Four in April 2020. Officially, Adkins is executive director of the Atlanta Football Host Committee. Much of Adkins’ increased professional responsibilities has its roots in the SES.

“SES was such an excellent program I actually attended three times,” he said. “The first three years were so great that I worked hard to get on the Board of Governors so I could come back and go through the program again a few years later. Thanks to some term length quirks, I was fortunate enough to serve another three years including two years as Chair of the Board of Governors. I’ve always felt it was the best program in IAVM’s arsenal of offerings. There is the Ivy League faculty, incredible setting, intimate classroom environment and time to get away from the day-to-day grind and really THINK.  I would, and still do, tell folks they’re missing out on something special if they haven’t been.”’

Vandenberg agrees that SES serves as the pinnacle of IAVM programming.

“IAVM did it right when they put this program together,” he said. “They gave us an opportunity to put our skills to the test and apply it toward real-life experiences. Being in a small group was also very positive for me with just the interaction with students and the exchanging of ideas. That’s what IAVM is about, as well.”

Vandenberg has been in the industry since the 1980s and remembers those days when there was not a lot of professional education to be found in the industry.

“Other than district meetings, as they were called back then, and a few operational conferences, we really did not have a lot of programs around,” he said. “VMS came along in 1987 and was something I could not wait to do. I applied for a scholarship out of our district and fortunately was awarded it to go. Once I got a taste of seeing what others could do and how they did it, I was hungry and couldn’t wait for the next year. I am looking at the certificate on my wall right now. I graduated June 6, 1991.”

This year’s SES will have as the theme Leadership Culture For The Future. There will be focus on Diversity in the Workplace, Ethical Dimensions of Leadership, Loyalty & Brand Management, and Applied HR Strategies.

“The caliber of instructors is incredible,” said Vandenberg, general manager of the Seaside Civic & Convention Center in Seaside, Oregon. “You are in a setting with 50 to 75 senior executive and I don’t mean senior as in senior citizen but as in classifications. We’re talking fellow general managers and assistant general managers. It is not limited to that, either. There are a lot of people that work in other areas of facility management. It is sort of a final frontier as far as I am concerned for public facility managers. You don’t get better than this.”

Actually, you might. Vandenberg and his peers have often chatted about what really could be next on that distant frontier of learning.

“What’s beyond this?” he asked. “Everybody says, we don’t know, but people are starting to get hungry again for this kind of education. A lot of people like me who have gone through it wonder what is on the horizon. Why limit ourselves?”

For now, though, there is a March 15 deadline for applications to be accepted. Others will be honored later if space is still available.  For more information, click here.

IAVM wishes to also acknowledge others who take their valuable time to serve on the Board of Governors to help promote the very best in industry education. Those individuals are Lisanne Lewis, CFE – Vice Chair; Kathy Lowrey – Past Chair; Paul Broadhead; Kim Gallucci; Michael Garcia, CFE; Michael Johnson; Bill McDonald; and Anne Wheat, CVP.

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Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director of the Frank Erwin Center, John Graham, announced last week that he will retire from his position at the end of August 2017. Graham is only the second director of the Frank Erwin Center, following Dean Justice, CFE who opened the venue in 1977 at the University of Texas at Austin.

Graham got his start in the arena industry in 1980 as the events manager of Assembly Hall (now State Farm Center) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He spent nine years at Assembly Hall, working his way up to assistant director and then associate director, before moving to Austin to join the Frank Erwin Center as associate director in May 1989. He was then promoted to director in October 1990.

During Graham’s 28-year tenure, he was instrumental in bringing world renowned events to the Frank Erwin Center including the first ever WWF (now WWE) event in 1989, which was a sellout with approximately 17,000 fans in attendance, the Davis Cup quarterfinal between the U.S and Spain in 2011, two nights of Paul McCartney’s 2013 “Out There” tour, a project which took approximately two years to come to fruition, and most recently, the iHeartCountry Music Festival, which returns for its fourth year this May.

“I knew of John’s great work long before I became Men’s Athletics Director from attending events ranging from graduations and concerts to memorial services,” said Mike Perrin. “I’ve always had great admiration for how he managed the Erwin Center. Along with all of the Longhorn athletics events he’s overseen for decades in a first class fashion, he consistently attracts some of the finest entertainment available to our campus and the city of Austin. There’s always something special going on at the Erwin Center, and John and the staff do an amazing job of handling every detail so a variety of events can go off without a hitch. The quick turnaround between tightly scheduled events has always impressed me. Since becoming Men’s AD my appreciation for John and his service to our Athletics Department and University has only grown. We will miss him, his good humor and his positive presence, but I join his other admirers in wishing him the best in retirement.”

Former Chancellor of the University of Texas System Dr. William Cunningham remembers fully well the responsibilities that came along with Graham’s position.

“John Graham has one of the most difficult jobs at The University – managing the Frank Erwin Center,” Cunningham said. “He is responsible for the financial integrity of the Erwin Center, as well as maintaining an excellent relationship with the performers, staff, and patrons of the Erwin Center. John’s drive for excellence in all endeavors will be greatly missed at the University when he retires.”

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Please welcome our newest members who joined IAVM in February 2017. Thank you for being a part of the association!

Also, let us get to know you better by participating in the I Am Venue Management series. Please visit http://www.iavm.org/i-am-venue-management-share-your-story to share your story and photo.

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By Paul Turner, CFE, CSSP

In January of this year AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, concluded its eighth NFL season. Since the stadium opened in June of 2009 as the new home of the Dallas Cowboys it has seen virtually every kind of event. Football, soccer, basketball, concerts, motor sports, conventions, gymnastics, the Super Bowl, the Final Four, the NBA All Star Game, the Academy of Country Music Awards, the inaugural College Football Playoff National Championship game, WrestleMania, live opera simulcasts and even women’s championship bowling. We have packed a lot into our first several years and we have made a lot of progress in learning how guests experience the building and figuring out the best way to manage operations.

So as we ended the 2016 NFL season and moved through our series of dirt events (Monster Jam, Supercross, Pro Bull Riders, The American Rodeo), I took a moment for self-reflection. Opening a venue – especially a stadium and one of the magnitude of AT&T Stadium – has been an incredible experience. In those early days we struggled, quickly moving from one event to another without much time to sort things out or plan for the future. Our staff would long for the days when all of the hard-earned experience was behind us and we “settled in” to running the facility. We desperately wanted to master all aspects of event planning and stadium operations and deliver “perfect” experiences to our guests and clients. And through a lot of hard work, experimentation and some measure of luck, we have done pretty well. We are not perfect – and we never will be – but I believe that we are consistently delivering on the promises we have made to ownership, our season ticket holders, our guests who attend the myriad of events, and our event clients. We have been profitable and we have shown that AT&T Stadium is a valuable community asset for the City of Arlington and North Texas.

In June it will be AT&T Stadium’s 8th anniversary. Our schedule of future events is starting to look familiar. NFL games. College football. High school football. Concerts. Motorsports. Recurring private convention events. What was a few years ago a novelty and the “next big challenge” has the appearance of being routine. We have done it before. We have the records from past events to fall back on. It was great the last time we did it, so let’s just do that again.

As I sit back and reflect on the last eight years, I get worried. The confidence that has come with experience and success makes us ripe for complacency. And complacency is often the first ingredient in the recipe for failure. You get confident. That confidence builds comfort. Comfort saps energy. A lack of energy turns into a lack of action. A lack of action breeds decay. We need to fight complacency and ensure that all of the investment in effort and expertise that got us where we are propels us forward into a future filled with more success.

It’s time to fight the good fight. It’s time to get to work.

But this is a different kind of work. Instead of building, inventing, creating and putting into place all of the things we needed when AT&T Stadium first opened, it is now time to shift and become more analytical about our operation. We need to be more introspective and closely examine our status quo. We need to challenge all of the things we are doing today to make sure that they are the right thing to do, that we are doing it in the right way and that we are still working toward common goals.

Two weeks ago at my department staff meeting I challenged each person on our team. I told them that now was the time for them to look at their operation, tear it apart and find what needs revision, fixing, what needs to be thrown out and what needs to be reinvented. I told my team that we cannot assume that our operation is as good as we may think it is. We know we have “blind spots,” problem areas that are hard for us to see because we are so close to the work or because we make assumptions about how things are working. I told my team that at the next staff meeting I wanted each of them to report back to the group with a list of things that they were going to do to help reexamine, renew and recharge our operation. I asked each of them to look at the specific things in their area – the things that they are personally responsible for – and find projects that would help move our operation forward. I encouraged them to also look at the bigger picture. If there were things outside their role that needed attention, we needed to know that, too.

Last Tuesday we had our department meeting and each person shared their list to the group. I was really impressed. Each person had done a great job of identifying areas for improvement and specific actions that they can take to address a need. As we enter into a quieter time in our schedule, I am confident the time will be productive because each person has identified meaningful projects and is accountable to the entire department for getting things done.

So what is the lesson here? Well, I am betting that where I found myself and my team – on the edge of complacency – is where some other people may be (or they may be knee deep in complacency). My intent here is to provide encouragement to all to fight complacency and embark on a plan to critically examine your operation. Identify areas of improvement and opportunities for innovation. Many of these entail pure effort and not huge expenditures of cash. Have the courage to question all that you do. You may find yourself being validated (yes, this is the best way to do this and we are really good at doing it!). But you may also find there are areas of neglect, decay and waste that are corroding your work and your work environment. And what you take on does not have to be huge. You can take small, incremental steps toward improvement. The important thing is to fight complacency and get something done. You owe that to your organization. You owe that to the people you work with. But mostly, you owe it to yourself.

It’s time to fight the good fight. It’s time to get to work.

Paul Turner, CFE CSSP is Senior Director of Event Operations for the Dallas Cowboys and AT&T Stadium. He represents the Stadiums sector on the IAVM Board of Directors, is Chair of the Academy for Venue Safety & Security and is a Venue Management School faculty member. He can be reached at pturner@dallascowboys.net.

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The Kentucky State Fair Board has undergone a new rebranding for its facilities and in-house produced events. Kentucky Venues is the new identity for the Kentucky Exposition Center, Kentucky International Convention Center, Kentucky State Fair, National Farm Machinery Show, North American International Livestock Exposition and Kentucky Hoopfest.

“This new brand identification more clearly states who we are and what we are: venues, events, entertainment and agriculture,” said President and CEO Jason Rittenberry. “Kentucky Venues plays a vital economic role in both the community and the Commonwealth. The rebranding includes the launch of a new name, logo and website, www.kyvenues.com.”

The Kentucky State Fair Board will continue to serve as the governing entity. Since the board was established in 1938 to produce the Kentucky State Fair, its business has grown to encompass two major convention facilities and in-house produced events – including the Kentucky State Fair, National Farm Machinery Show, North American International Livestock Exposition, Championship Tractor Pull, World’s Championship Horse Show, North American Championship Rode and Kentucky Hoopfest. These facilities are recognized as major economic drivers for the Commonwealth. An economic impact study from 2014 revealed that $483 million in annual economic impact stemmed from activities and events at the Kentucky Exposition Center and Kentucky International Convention Center.

“The agency is already recognized in the convention and tradeshow industry for operating major venues,” Rittenberry said. “But Kentucky Venues — and the renovation of the convention center — more strategically positions us to attract new business that wasn’t previously possible. The new brand also eliminates confusion arising over whether facilities are solely for Kentucky State Fair use.

“Kentucky Venues will remain true to the Kentucky State Fair Board’s mission: to advance Kentucky’s agriculture and tourism industries and economy while serving the entertainment, cultural and educational interests of the public. The new brand will enable us to achieve this more effectively and with more success, because Kentucky Venues clearly communicates who we are and what we do, and that’s a powerful tool in this competitive marketplace.”

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Leading global companies like Apple, Amazon and Google have permanently raised expectations for seamless, cross-device user experiences. Having spent decades immersed in the tech industry, Ungerboeck Software CEO Manish Chandak has had front-row access to this transformation and the role technology has played in its development. “The ubiquity of mobile devices along with unprecedented access to information has turned expectations about how and when people make purchasing decisions completely inside out,” Chandak said. “In today’s global economy, consumer demand for a consistent and enhanced experience across all channels and touch points is high, regardless of whether they’re buying a car or registering for an event.”

As a direct response to this demand, Chandak has prioritized investment at Ungerboeck Software in product lines and solutions that allow events and venues to build the kind of dynamic digital experiences their customers want — easily and effectively. “We’ve been involved in the data management part of the process for a long time,” Chandak said. “What we’re focusing on now is the other side of the equation, namely how our clients can unlock the information already in their software to create a more seamless experience for their clients and improve their own efficiency.”

Among the solutions already available: integrated websites, digital signage, intelligent mobile applications and personalized registration experiences serve as standout examples of the organization’s strong commitment to this effort. “The same set of tools and resources our digital services team uses is now available to clients for independent use,” said Phil Sherer, Ungerboeck director of client services. “Whether you’re hosted on-premise or in the cloud, handling development on your own or leaving it to us, we’re making it as easy as possible for our customers to make the most of their software.”

On the digital horizon from Ungerboeck are out-of-the box integrations with popular third party solutions for ticketing, email marketing, demand generation and more. “We’re continuing to innovate and team up with our customers to create new solutions and experiences,” Chandak said. “And we’re also seeking out opportunities to work with relevant partners who can bring proven functionality to the table fast. Whatever we need to do to help our customers create targeted, data-driven, digital experiences, we’re going to do it.”

For additional information about digital solutions from Ungerboeck Software or any key features and benefits of the Ungerboeck system, please contact Stacie Bauer at 636-300-5606 or via email at stacie.bauer@ungerboeck.com. Detailed product information is also available online at http://ungerboeck.com.

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